My Story

NE2647

Nueva Esperanza, which means New Hope, is located in a slum area of Guatemala City, Guatemala.  An extremely poor area, our program is squeezed in among the shanty dwellings built over an old city dump.  Many houses in this area are without toilets or running water and are assembled with scrap wood, sheet metal, and cardboard.  Zone 5, where Nueva Esperanza is located, is considered one of the most dangerous areas of Guatemala City.  It is controlled by gangs and drug pushers.  Robberies and murders are common in this area.  Public education is available - however, many cannot afford it.  Life in Zone 5 is very difficult. This child lives on top of an old rubbish dump in Zone 5 of Guatemala City.  It is an extremely dangerous area where criminals, prostitutes and drug addicts live. Hello! It is a privilege for me to tell you about my life. My name is Efraying Jaasiel and I am seven years old. I was born on June 9^th, 2014 in Guatemala City. This year, I am enrolled in first grade. In my free time, I enjoy doing exercise. My favorite color is yellow and my favorite animal is dog. I like all kinds of meals, but I prefer chicken and fried potatoes.

I live along with my parents and siblings in a place called “Lomas del Eden”, located in Zone 5. My father’s name is Zadick Mondragon, and he works for other people making shoes in a workshop; in this way, he covers our needs. My mother’s name is Yesenia Rivera; she does the housework and takes care of my siblings and me. In spite of the pandemic, we are all in good health. We rent a small house which has two rooms; the first one is our bedroom and the second one is the kitchen. Its walls are made out of block. The roof is concrete, and the floor is ceramic. The house has running water and electricity - the rent payment covers the payment of those services. Thankfully, we live near the feeding program because we only walk for about 15 or 20 minutes. My family and I are members of Ebenezer Church. Finally, let me tell you that my mother assisted a member of the Evangelism team to get information about me, since the staff want to protect us from the virus. This is all for now, but if you want to ask me something else about my life, feel free to do it.

Sending you huge hugs,

Efrayin Jaasiel Mondragon Rivera

Translated by: Hillary Popol / AAC Secretary